Production Software

Business Benefits of FactoryLogix Production

Consolidate shop-floor support functions at each station into one interface for simplicity, efficiency, and cost savings. FactoryLogix delivers paperless, quality, traceability, and process verification through a user-configurable interface. Total scope and depth of functionality to support line operators once only possibly through costly customization is now out-of-the box.

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FactoryLogix Shop Floor Control Features

Ensuring the right document is in use at each work station demands constant management, and overlooking that can lead to product rework or scrap. Beyond revision control, operators need detailed and searchable documentation to build quality product. FactoryLogix meets both these challenges. Visual documentation created in the NPI module is dispatched automatically to each workstation under revision control and presents searchable, interactive multimedia documentation targeted perfectly where and when it is needed.

Critical assembly processes demand both control and evidence that an operator’s work was performed correctly. For a given instruction step, operators may need to record a setting value, acknowledge the step was performed, have an inspector or inspectors confirm the work meets spec, and/or provide photographic evidence of the completed step. FactoryLogix provides this support, fluidly guiding the operator through their sequential build process, enforcing capture of the required steps, and providing evidence of the work performed as part of the unit’s build history.

The task of determining where all work orders and units are located throughout the plant is, in reality, among the most difficult. FactoryLogix solves this problem by digitally tracking every unit factory-wide, making this information available in real-time. Products may be built in batches and/or as serialized units. It enforces route sequence by blocking a unit that should not be present at a given station, and guides units out of stations and through rework loops where applicable. It adapts to line down conditions by rerouting automatically to alternate parallel processes, and ensures successful product pack out operations, taking care of the control activities that would normally cost your company a great deal of overhead.

System level and configure-to-order (CTO) assemblies require control and evidence of subassembly content and their accessory complement. FactoryLogix readily adapts to assemblies with varying part content and enforces subassembly installation and replacement with rich validation checks. The result is complete product genealogy of all assemblies, including historical genealogy to uncover issues with suspect subassembly units.

A single error in materials setup will ruin a lot of product quickly. Material traceability adds overhead when handled in the traditional way. FactoryLogix offers material setup validation and enforcement at any work station, to verify BOM part content, tooling, and even consumables. Material may be verified as loaded or replenished into the station, or for every unit processed for upmost assurance of installed part content.

There exists no shortage of quality software for manufacturing. FactoryLogix stands apart because it is built on CAD intelligence. Why is this important? It enables operators to quickly input data on an intelligent visual of the product, rather than text input. It enables positional and visual analysis of quality across the surface of the product. It enables intelligent mapping of defects back to detailed elements of the product design for continuous improvement. It collects data from automated inspection equipment via xLink. FactoryLogix also drives the redirection of the nonconforming product into user-configured routes for rework. When the unit is scanned into a rework station, the product image includes clear indicators where rework needs to be performed. Operators conduct their work, and clear the non-conformances as they go. No paper. No stickers or markers. And everything is tracked, traced, and controlled, delivering superior data input and analytical results thereafter.

Testers develop symptoms of defects only. It takes diagnostics to determine the root cause of these symptoms. That’s why FactoryLogix presents test engineers everything they need to know about the product itself: its net list, its test results, the history of the units built around the time that unit was built, and more.

FactoryLogix SMT Line Management Features

Solder paste application is the critical ingredient throughout the surface mount assembly process. Proper setup of this operation is necessary, as well as monitoring and controlling paste life. FactoryLogix ensures that operators load the correct paste chemistry and tooling at this operation, as well as enforcing use of the paste, from the refrigerator to its specified exposure.

Setting up feeders and carts offline is a practical means for increasing equipment utilization. With this strategy, manufacturers are able to stage machine setups without affecting the current production run. The actual machine change over time and related machine breakdown is thus reduced to a minimum. FactoryLogix’ offline material setup provides a significant time benefit when all time-consuming preparations are carried out independently from the placement machines. A handheld mobile computer supports the operator with a barcode scan verification process that automatically compares the expected components from the setup file against the loaded components. Operators are guided on-screen with messages to identify incorrectly loaded material or feeder locations. The software prevents feeder or cart use if they are not entirely verified and released for production.

Effective and error-free equipment feeder setup demands clear instruction and feedback. FactoryLogix verifies material and feeders used throughout the line, and records this information as trace detail for each processed unit. A handheld mobile computer supports the operator with a barcode scan verification process that automatically compares the expected components from the setup file against the loaded components. Operators are guided on-screen with messages to identify incorrectly loaded material or feeder locations. The software prevents feeder use if they are not entirely verified and released for production.

More and more moisture sensitive devices find their way into the electronics manufacturing. These devices are divided into different JEDEC level classes, according to the IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020C standard. The level determines long a component may remain unpackaged and open in a normal humid environment until it is rendered unusable.
The challenges found in production involve distinguishing MSD components from others and then controlling that they have not exceeded their exposure time. Manually recording this information leads to mistakes that may cause later end-product reliability issues. These challenges can only be solved with an automated solution found in FactoryLogix. Each material instance possesses their own separate timer for tracking their specified and actual open times. The open times are continually monitored and displayed, and when exceeded will trigger alarms, such as email broadcasts and line stop events. These times are tracked as material is scanned when setting up or refilling a feeder or machine. When a reel is removed from the machine and stored in a bake oven or a nitrogen cabinet, the open timer is stopped.

Material shortages found on assembly equipment take down production lines, compromise daily production plan goals, and affect overall equipment effectiveness. Operators are continually responding to exhausted feeder positions and must quickly locate replacement material. Anticipating these shortages takes great orchestration and consumes considerable labor time. FactoryLogix provides the insight and automation to improve your real-time material handling challenges. It continuously monitors the quantity levels at each feeder position, and clearly displays this information in a graphical machine view with criticality indicated by color codes. And when an item is emptied, it automatically triggers part requisitions for replenishments, permitting your operators to better utilize their time on the line.